Energy Food and Drink
You're going to need adequate fuel and hydration for your running and trail adventures. Here you can find the best-rated energy gels, chews, and bars, plus electrolyte, hydration, and recovery drinks in enough flavors and forms to please any palette (just be sure to give any a trial run before that big race).
Want more food for longer outdoor adventures? Check out our full independent reviews and ratings of trail and backcountry food and drink, including meals, desserts, coffee, and more.
The best energy food and drink, reviewed and curated by the Trailspace community. The latest review was added on October 5, 2020. Stores' prices and availability are updated daily.
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Recent Food/Drink Reviews
SaltStick Elixalyte
SaltStick's Elixalyte electrolytes make the hydration process simple and easy. Rather than running into issues with cramping and heat stress, you can incorporate a few drops of this concoction into your fluids to prevent these issues. Nobody likes their hike to be interrupted by heat stress and cramps. But finding ways to incorporate electrolytes into your day can help reduce these issues. Luckily, SaltStick's Elixalyte gives athletes easy access to a clean and balanced electrolyte formula during… Full review
Huel Bar
Complete nutrition at your fingertips. Nutritious, durable food that can either supplement your meals or completely replace them. I ate more than 40 of these bars during the test so I've learned a little bit about them! About: “Simply put, Huel is food, with just the right amount of protein, essential fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals to fuel your day without weighing you down. Better yet, Huel is vegan, lactose-free, soy-free, GMO-free, and approved by a team of Registered Dietitians. Full review
Honey Stinger Mini Waffles
Honey Stinger took its popular—and tasty—organic waffles and shrunk them down into a mini snack size in a convenient, resealable bag. Mini Waffles come in honey or vanilla flavor and provide the same fuel and flavor as the original thin wafer cookies. You won't have as many flavor options, nor any gluten-free versions in this size. However, a bag of Mini Waffles will probably empty faster than you expect on a hike or at home. Whether to go large or mini comes down to personal preference and… Full review
The Crafty Weka Bar The Original
This bar is great for a snack on the go, and can even replace breakfast! It keeps me full for hours. It's also great to put in smoothies. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a clean, NZ-made snack bar. These bars taste incredible and the taste and texture varies depending on what flavour you get! Currently my favourite is date and orange. No prep required, just buy with your groceries and you're good to go. Easy to chuck in a backpack for long walks or bike rides. This bar satisfies my… Full review
The Crafty Weka Bar The Original
Energy in a 75-gram bar that tastes great. I have been given some of these energy bars to try and to review with no pressure to give a good review. This is a new start-up business in Christchurch, New Zealand. I have carried these on both day walks and on a multi-day hike and found the following: They are a tasty bar with loads of nuts and seeds in a syrup base, which I suspect is honey, slightly chewy with a crunch. The label says they have: energy 1860 kj protein 8.1 g fats 18.7 g carbs 30.4… Full review
Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier
The Liquid IV electrolyte mix offers a variety of flavors, but none of them are overly sweet. I ordered the product directly from the company. The product was delivered quickly and ahead of schedule. I ordered the variety pack which included three flavors—Lemon Lime, Acai Berry and Passion Fruit. There were eight packets of each flavor. It is recommended that each packet be added to 16 ounces. or 0.5 liter of water. At first I found it a little difficult to open the packets cleanly. I then realized… Full review
Hotshot Sports Shot
Relieves muscle cramps fast! I had returned from several days of backpacking in the Trinity Alps. The last day was long and hot, and I'd probably not drunk as much water as I should have. But the beer was cold, and it was sooo nice to sleep in a real bed. And at 3 a.m., the cramping started. It began in my right calf, and as I tried stretching/rubbing it out without waking up my wife (sorry, honey!), the left calf started to kick in too. As they both got tighter and more painful, I remembered the… Full review
Clif Nut Butter Filled Bar
This is a nice addition to the Clif Bar lineup of energy bars. The Peanut Butter flavored Nut Butter filled Clif Bar has an appealing softer consistency than the classic Clif Bars, which combined with a great taste, make these bars a nice option as a trail bar to throw in your pack for a day hike or a through hike. Years ago I used to be a big fan of classic Clif Bars, but as other manufactures brought a seeming endless number of options to the market, I started shifting to other trail bars that… Full review
Larabar Cashew Cookie
A straightforward, no-nonsense trail snack that has become a personal favorite. Taste: With only two ingredients (cashews and dates), the taste is as one might expect (surprise, it tastes like cashews and dates!). I’ve never been a huge fan of raw dates, but these are much more enjoyable than raw dates, even though there is a distinct date flavor. As for cashews, I could eat them all day, everyday, so this bar was particularly intriguing for me. From what I’ve seen, most other trail bars/snacks… Full review
